The Bon Vivant of Brooklyn

The title of this post produces images in my brain of some crazy Japanese manga, or Asian film festival reject.  And these recent tentacle pictures you can see at the official blog of Sunday Night Dinner certainly give me good reason.  But the title is also completely descriptive of my evening this past Sunday, when I experienced my very first Sunday Night Dinner with a group of twenty or so very friendly strangers who shared an all-consuming passion for good food.

My girlfriend heard of this tribe when they were featured on a talk show on WNYC, and she immediately contacted organizer Tamara Reynolds, who put us on "the list".  For a suggested donation of $35 each (collected via a kitty and an honor system) and two bottles of wine (one per person) we were treated to a six course meal of epic gustatory proportions.

What follows next is a photo montage that needs no additional words.  In fact, the food was so incredible, it would be difficult to do it any justice with mere words.

Documentaries are rarely mainstream fare; they are too often relegated to the dusty corners of non-fiction shelves, and left for consumption by political activists and intellectuals willing to stomach the sometimes dry content.

Not so with The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters.  The truth behind this real-life narrative, and behind many other documentary features, is that reality is stranger, funnier, and more believable than any type of fiction could ever be.  This film in particular is especially theatrical in its execution, perhaps because of its subject:  the competition over who holds the world's highest score on the classic video game Donkey Kong.  As any sports fan can tell you, the drama of competitive games can be riveting, with the ultimate challenge often gluing you to the edge of your seat.

This is exactly the case with The King Of Kong.  At its heart it is a sports rivalry story - but it expands into something much greater by the time it concludes.  It slowly unfolds itself beginning with the life stories of the middle aging video game wizards, and telling the history of Walter Day and Twin Galaxies (the individual and his arcade/organization that made itself responsible for keeping scores).  Billy Mitchell, the champ (and his twenty year Donkey Kong record), stands proudly beside Twin Galaxies - and is himself a referee of scoring, while also holding multiple records on several classic games.  Steve Wiebe, the challenger, is a schoolteacher who just happens to have incredible hand-eye coordination and obsessive determination.  Steve is the focus of the film, as he fights an uphill battle to get his score recognized by an organization that refuses to recognize him.

Gathered around these nearly archetypal personalities of crowned champ and quietly raging contender are a constellation of nerds, geeks, dorks, and combinations of all three; a literal cavalcade of wacky characters who frame the conflict in the most human terms possible.  And this conflict is exactly what the film is all about:  human nature at its best and most base; the drive to win, and the prices people will pay; and yes - "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat."

We're talking about a microcosm in an arcade that mirrors the deepest metaphors of human conflict:  bad guy versus good guy, dark versus light, empire versus rebellion, Donkey Kong versus Mario.  Even the game itself represents the fight between Billy and Steve!  To paraphrase Ed Cunningham (former football star, ESPN commentator, and the film's producer):

"The metaphor extends into the game itself!  You've got this great big gorilla [Billy] hucking barrels at the hero [Steve] who keeps on going no matter what!"

I was lucky enough to attend two events for the film this week (the photos come from those events, more can be found here); the first was a screening at the Museum of the Moving Image, followed by a party and a Donkey Kong demonstration, and the second was a screening party at Dave & Busters Times Square, where Steve Wiebe managed to achieve the fourth ever known "kill screen" on Donkey Kong (video link)  (For those not in the know:  a kill screen is the point where the game truly ends - the program of the arcade game doesn't loop forever, so when it reaches the limits of its capacity, the player dies for no apparent reason... GAME OVER).

It may seem strange to think of a lone man bathed in the glowing lights of an arcade game as a hero or a great competitor - but I promise you that this story will make you laugh, cry, and even think!  You should also know that the rights to create a fictionalized version of the documentary have already been sold.  That's how good it is; if you can imagine Dodgeball being based on a true story, where the characters are based on real people, this movie would be akin to that precursory tale.

I can't recommend this movie enough.  I plan to see it again on opening night (it starts this Friday at the IFC center and AMC Empire Times Square in New York, and opens nationally next week), and I also plan to start working once more on my own mad DK skillz... 

What possible excuse could you have for not yet eating at Casellula?  Surely you've heard of it - the "cheese hut", the tiny bistro on 52nd Street, just past 9th Avenue?  It is absolutely imperative that you dine there immediately.  This small wonder is slowly blossoming into a truly fine eating establishment, and you could be experiencing that firsthand!  I've already been there three times, and it literally got better every time I went!

Look, just click on their web site link up there.  It's okay, I'll still be here when you get back.

Did you see that?  They've got 35-40 cheeses from all over the world to nosh on; and believe me when I tell you, that list changes constantly - the web site is not up to date, but it's because they're rotating new cheeses in and out every day.  The wine list is filled with exquisite and expertly picked vintages, and the food menu has literally tripled in size since they first opened.  And now they're starting BRUNCH on the weekends.  Can you feel the excitement?  My hands tremble with delight at the very thought.

I also had no idea that they offered classes and events every Monday night... and the last time I went was just on the Monday when they had "The Cheeses of Louis XIV".  I was disappointed to learn that I'd missed out on that one - but the meal SO made up for my lack of awareness.

My companion and I ordered a plate of four cheeses (they can be ordered a la carte for US$5.00 each or in collections artfully chosen by fromager Tia Keenan - a woman with impeccable taste matching abilities who pairs your chosen cheese with ideally flavored items), a plate of three meats with dijon mustard, a bowl of olives, and some wine.  The selections were as follows:

CHEESE
pau sauvage (spanish herbal goat) - a light and smooth cheese covered with aromatic and pungent herbs, paired with dried cranberries

selerais [?] (grass covered Italian cow/goat/sheep?) - a sweet ricotta-like pressed cheese made earthy by virtue of being wrapped in hay, paired with fresh yellow and red cherry tomatoes

farmhouse cheddar - an exemplar of fine cheddar, paired with sweet zucchini relish

ewephoria sheep gouda - a nutty, parmesean like presentation of a cheese, paired with fried onion crisps and sweet hot mustard

MEAT
smoked goose breast - salty and smoky, almost ham-like taste with a beef texture

wild boar - tender and sweet

duck sausage - delightfullly savory

WINE
Fornace di Cerrito, Barbera d'Asti

And last but not least - we partook of the ultimate Summer dessert: perfection in a champagne flute, the berry buttermilk shake.  A smooth, creamy, frozen mousse-like delight made of buttermilk ice cream and fresh blueberries blended together, and garnished with frozen blackberries and strawberries, each soaked in a different red wine, packing an incredible explosion of flavors within the crunchy, cold, juicy berries.  When you order this dessert, order at least two of them, and thank me later.

I will be going again, and soon, and again and again after that until the place becomes too crowded to enter, as I know it eventually will.  Don't forget to bring cash when you go (though a convenient ATM is located right in the grocery store on the corner of 9th)!

[Where: 401 W. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019]

East Williamsburg is home to a lot of great eateries, and the main strip in this primarily Italian part of the neighborhood is Graham Avenue (a.k.a. Via Vespucci).  Graham is also the starting or ending point of many parades and festivals over the Summer; really the heart of the place.  To name a few of my favorite establishments: Oak Cafe, Cafe Capri, Carmine's Pizzeria, Tony's Pizza, and Loco Burrito.  There are several places I have yet to try - and there are still more and more places opening up!

Take The Salad Queen, for example.  I swear, I was just walking past the area one day and this joint just popped up out of nowhere.  Located just around the corner from Ralph's Italian Ices, this tiny nook serves custom salads and sandwiches.  I have yet to try it out, but the prices seem reasonable.

One place that I really wanted to like in the area was Satchmo's.  It was a juice bar and cafe, with decent baked goods, and fresh, tasty concoctions, and free wireless.  Unfortunately, it seemed to be badly managed, and the prices were really excessive on some items, and too cheap on others.  It closed down not too long after I first encountered it, to no great surprise.

Since then it's been gutted and cleaned, and papered up.  However, this blogger has nosed around and learned directly from Tony (of Tony's Pizza) who also happens to be the landlord of the building, that a new vegan restaurant will be opening up in that spot!  So keep your eyes peeled for another vegan spot opening up at 347 Graham, right between the burrito place and Tony's.

Weeks and weeks into this Summer of Disappointing Movies, we have finally unearthed a decent gem of a film.  This is the one you take a date to; especially if your significant other wears an ankh or has a Death (the D.C. comic character) tattoo somewhere or owns all the Sandman graphic novels.  Paramount Pictures has graciously brought the fairy tale back to the screen, with a quality not seen since The Princess Bride.  Forget Narnia, Terabithia, and Hogwart's - it's all about Stormhold and the fallen star.

Like all good fairy tales, this story has a bit of everything:  eternal love, dark deeds, merciless witches, wicked royalty, inescapable destiny, and a happily ever after.  The best news is that at no point does it descend into platitudes or condescension; it simply is what it is, a fable about love and adventure.  There are many inventive little twists which are no doubt the product of acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman (who has always had a knack for telling old stories in a new way) - but having not read the graphic novel or paperback novelization, I can't say for sure how well the movie was adapted from its original forms.  I rather think that it doesn't matter a whit, as the movie is a joyful romp filled with great dialogue, fun action, and light humor.

It will be an excellent movie for kids, if parents don't overly worry about a couple of very mildly violent scenes - any injury is practically cartoon level mayhem, and "real" blood and gore is never even visibly spilled.  Honestly, any Harry Potter movie is quite a bit scarier than this flick, and it emphasizes the importance of true love above all things.  Its light-hearted tone, brave heroics, bad-guy-comeuppance, and comic relief make it perfect for younger audiences.

The only drawbacks are the mediocre performances of Claire Danes and Charlie Cox.  Charlie is a bit too dweeby and wooden, though he almost accidentally turns into Orlando Bloom towards the end of the film.  All of which fits the character to a T, yet, like good Chinese food, he still somehow leaves you feeling a bit empty a short while after consumption.  Claire just plain needed to lose the fake British accent, or get a better voice coach.  It unfortunately tainted her earnest words with cheesiness, making an unintended self-mockery of her character.

Michelle Pfeiffer is in rare form as a villainous witch who continuously undoes her plans by way of her own vanity and laziness, wasting her finite magical power in pursuit of the additional power the fallen star can give her.  She is every bit Maleficient and wicked stepmother, leering at herself in mirrors and haughtily punishing anyone who stands in her way.  Robert De Niro also shines as an air pirate with secret ambitions, and Ricky Gervais has an all too brief comedic cameo.

Most surprising of all is that this great fare comes from Matthew Vaughn, he who brought us Layer Cake (director and producer), Snatch, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (producer on both).  Fairy Tale is quite a bit of a departure from the hyperkinetic crime genre, but perhaps in another sense they're more closely related than one would think.

Go see this flick!  Give Neil Gaiman your money, and tell Paramount to keep making more like this one!